[P1] time for choosing

[david]

On 3/15/03 3:42 PM, "Bryan Taylor" <bryan.taylor at paradise.net.nz> wrote:

> I'm dithering over whether to purchase a 400MHz powerbook or a new 800
> combo iBook, I asked the question over at G-Books on LEM and got the
> response that (a) you need the 15" screen if thats all you got and (b)
> you need the 32Mb vram and the warranty on the iBook...

A) need a 15" screen? Bah! While I have a dual monitor desktop system at
home and similar desktops at work, I use my iBook all day long and even at
home. It's just simpler to keep work on one machine rather than spread it
around several machines. Yes, there are a few times a month when I wish I
had a larger monitor but that is generally when I'm using InDesign or
GoLive. Frankly, if I used either of those applications often I'd want a
faster computer more than a larger display.

B) in a notebook more warranty is a very good thing. Except for one machine,
I've never had a (personal) desktop require warranty work. Of course, I do
tend to replace the two most at-risk components (HD and CD) with faster
bigger models before they'd cause trouble. More than half of my notebooks
have required warranty work. I consider that part of the package given how
much I use them, the very small package and tight tolerances, and relative
abuse they take. And yes, there are many good reasons to have a machine with
more VRAM.

> Now I've been gifted a dead backlight 500MHz iBook (its an insurance
> write-off) and I find on the Apple discussion forums that there are many
> unhappy people with similar dead backlights.
> I know I'm asking for trouble but is this a common problem still on later
> models?
>
Got a lab of them and not one has a dead backlight, knock on wood. One major
knock I have against notebooks is that the design changes too often and that
means a whole new set of flaws to be found and fixed with each new model.
That's why I've only bought two notebooks (out of 7) that were fresh
designs. Too much risk. I suspect that the iBooks with bad backlights are
all original shipment and that newer ones don't have that flaw. (It's also
why, even though I am very tempted by the 12 inch powerbook, I'll wait until
late fall or early winter before really thinking about it.)
> 
> I can get the iBook to use an external monitor in a shop, now I'm waiting
> to see whether the claimant is going to return all the cables. I know you
> can repair it probably by replacing the video cable but I'm all thumbs,
> and the machine was written off because the authorised repairer said it
> needed a new entire display
> 
> Do people use the 12" iBook as their sole machine/screen? Is it tiring?
> 
As I answered above, while it isn't my sole machine, it could easily be. In
fact, if I do bite and buy a 12 inch powerbook next fall it will probably
replace both my iBook and my home desktop. I really am using my home desktop
that little these days.

david

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All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost;
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davidwb at spymac.com